It is summertime again and contractors for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) have started seal coat operations this month. Some 308 miles of roadway across the nine county Brownwood District is scheduled for this annual preventative maintenance process.

‘Seal coat’ is a process where fresh asphalt and rock is applied to an existing roadway. This process seals the surface of the roadway preventing moisture from damaging the road base. Seal coat typically extends the life of a roadway some seven to ten years.

The seal coat process is temperature sensitive so the time that it can be applied is fairly short - usually from May to mid August. TxDOT districts across the state get in high gear every summer to get roadways across Texas seal coated.

Over the course of the summer, roads in San Saba County that will have some portions resurfaced are FM 45 from the Mills Co. line south to US 190 and FM 501 from the county line to SH 16.

Barring wet weather or equipment failure, seal coat projects move very quickly. Most roadways in this year’s schedule can be finished in one day or less. Please use caution in all construction areas.

Brannan Paving Co., LTD, of Victoria Texas was awarded the $6.3 million project.